


The Prince and His Shadow

by LicoricePrince



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Attempted Murder, M/M, Minor Violence, No Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28255089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LicoricePrince/pseuds/LicoricePrince
Summary: Stellan was the prince that was always accompanied by his knight, Henrik. Whenever danger lurked in the shadows, Henrik was there to take care of the pest. To those around them, they were just a prince and a knight, but behind closed doors, their true relationship unfolded.
Relationships: Denmark/Norway (Hetalia)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16
Collections: Nordictalia Secret Santa





	The Prince and His Shadow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hana_Noiazei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hana_Noiazei/gifts).



> Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, Hana.

Dressed in dark shades of blue and white with accents of silver, the prince found himself gliding across the dancefloor as he went through one partner after another. His long navy trench coat was three inches above the ground as it swayed ever so slowly as he danced gracefully under the shimmering chandelier. The prince bore a pair of stunning sapphire pools for eyes that never dared to dart from the gentleman currently sharing the moment with him. Their dance would continue until the music in the background would drift away to another tune, and a third party would disrupt a conversation that never developed. 

Exchanging their bows and saying their farewells, the prince would move onto the man in waiting and take the offered hand. Immediately, the newcomer would pull the prince close and rest his free hand upon the waist of his partner, not bothering to give into consideration that he was being too informal. In return to the rather rushed and uncalled for action, the prince yielded a cold glare, obviously not thrilled with the bold moves and unknown intentions the man carried.

Grinning down at the male, the bold gentleman strikes up a conversation with the modest royal. "Never thought I'd ever get a chance to dance with a beauty such as yourself. What's your name, by the way? It certainly must be as beautiful as your face." He showed off a smug-like grin as his grip tightened. His hand would slowly travel downwards, making the prince shiver as he depicted the ill intentions of his dance partner.

"It's Stellan, and my complexion shouldn't be of any importance to you." He spat calmly as he sought to fight the urge to retaliate and push the man away. The hand was increasingly getting lower, and the grip around his waist was not helping either. The man hummed as he examined Stellan's face again and would allow his eyes to move downwards to study the rest of the body before proceeding up once more to greet the sapphire eyes that kept him wanting more. Indeed, he wanted Stellan for himself, despite just meeting him and knowing little to nothing of his persona and history. "I was right. Such a beautiful name equally matches your beauty. Perhaps you would do me the greatest of honors and allow me to take your hand in marriage? I promise you'd be well off and have the greatest of luxuries. Not to mention you'd be marrying someone who is not only handsome and charming but also extremely rich."

Taken back by the audacious request and unamusing amenities, Stellan scrunched his nose and removed his arm from the man's shoulder. His attempt to move away to create space between him and the dance partner sparked some curiosity in the fellow royal. "What's wrong? Don't you want to marry someone of your own kind who can tend to your every desire? I promise you'd be happy for the rest of your life and will live worry-free." He smirked as he used his free hand to grip Stellan's chin between his fingers. "What do you say? Will you be mine?" He asked as he leaned in close, tempted to capture the lips of the man he desired to make his property.

Stellan gave the man a glare and was not amused by the immoral behavior, nor was the request in his favor. "I don't need you to grant my desires. I am perfectly capable of allocating my wishes without the aid of someone who just wants me as their whore." He stated as he tried to pry the hand that was on his lower hip. The attempt and the answer steered the other prince to snap in retaliation. There was no way he was going to be turned down and permit the man he wanted to slip through his fingers that easily. 

Tightening the grip on Stellan's chin, the prince brought Stellan closer and leaned in to close the distance. With the distance now deceased and his space invaded, Stellan could smell the unfortunate dreadful breath of the man desperate to get him alone.

"Listen here, I'm trying to be nice by asking for your hand in marriage, and you're being quite stubborn about it. I don't want to use force, but you're making it difficult to not use other methods to persuade your decision. So, I will ask once again. Will you, Stellan, accept my hand in marriage?"

He was persistent, that was obvious, and it appeared that he was going to keep pressing the subject onto until he was satisfied and had exactly what he yearned. 

"For the last time, no, I will not take your hand in marriage. I cannot marry someone who is full of themselves. Besides, we just met, and I refuse to marry a complete stranger." Stellan pried the hand grasping his chin, and shoved the prince away, which was a mistake that led to the prince fighting back.

"You ungrateful bitch!" The much stronger prince raised his hand to strike Stellan, but the hand would never reach its destination. Instead, a third party would enter the scene and grab the man by the wrist to prevent the intended harm to be brought upon Stellan. "I think he made it loud and clear that he is not interested in marriage. If you could be so kind and leave the prince alone, that would be great." The one who spoke out was none other than a knight with glacier blue eyes and blond spiky hair. Stellan was relieved when the knight stepped in to tend to his aid.

Sensing that a third attempt would not be in his favor and rather upset by the fact that a knight had interrupted their moment, the prince yanked his hand away. "Fine, I get it, but I will get what I want, even if I have to take you by force." He snapped and would leave to take his business elsewhere, leaving Stellan alone with his knight. 

"You okay, Stellan?" Henrik asked with a slight hint of concern in his voice.

"I'm fine, and it's your highness when we are in public." Stellan rubbed his temples in frustration after dealing with the persistent royal. He just wanted to return to his chamber to retire for the night. Dancing had drained the last bit of energy he had and it was a miracle that he was still standing.

"Right, sorry, forgot about that." He chuckled as he offered his hand to the prince, completely brushing off the notation that the prince wanted to go to sleep.

Stellan looked at Henrik with a questionable look. "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious, I'm asking my prince to dance. I hope you remember our dance lessons." He snickered.

"Henrik, I'm serious. I'm exhausted from dancing and would just like to head to bed." Henrik frowned and retracted his hand. He would just have to request a dance at another time. "Alright, I get it. After you then, your royal highness." He lowered his head and would wait until Stellan began walking in the direction of his sleeping chambers before following behind.

Once they were out of sight and alone to speak their minds, Henrik dropped the charade. "I didn't appreciate that guy being too hands-on with you. I had to fight the urge to not walk over and punch him for the way he spoke towards you. Not to mention that he was touching what didn't rightfully belong to him." The knight grumbled as he kept blabbering about the eventful night of dancing and the plentiful of love interests that gloated their traits and attempted to swoon the prince into marriage. 

"That would have been a sight to witness. Then again, your attempt would end in your death, and I rather not lose my knight over jealously."

Henrik's ears perked up at the comment, "Awww, you'd miss me if I were to suddenly perish? That's sweet of you, unlikely to happen, but I feel honored." He cheered as he embraced Stellan from behind, causing the shorter male to stop in his tracks. "Henrik! We are still in the hallway; someone can see us!" He whispered as he struggled to escape from the confines of the knight's grip. Henrik would pout and would let go, only to scoop up the prince in his arms instead. "We will be fine! Besides, everyone is busy drinking and dancing anyway." He smiled as he carried Stellan in his arms until they reached the sleeping chambers, where Henrik would walk in and set the blond on the edge of his bed.

"You worry too much, Stellan." Henrik would turn around upon taking note of the hand gesture that Stellan was about to change out of his formal attire and into something loose and made of the finest silks. "It's called being cautious, idiot, or do you want the entire kingdom to know of our relationship?” He said as he fastened the final button and sat back down on the bed. 

Henrik would turn around and remove the heavy garments from his shoulders as well as his boots. His sword would lie against the wall for future use until the following morning. Once he was situated, he would rest beside Stellan on the bed and grasp the free hand that was no longer restricted by the protection of a black glove.

Their fingers would intertwine as Stellan would tiredly lean against his knight. A tight squeeze would be exchanged as they rested in silence for a brief moment to enjoy each other's company. It was behind closed doors where their actual relationship could unfold, and their formal titles were discarded for their names.

"I love you," Henrik whispered quietly as he kept Stellan's delicate hand within his own. Stellan hummed and repositioned his head, so it laid directly on top of his partner's shoulder. "Love you too." His voice was faint, but it was clear enough to get the message through as Henrik could not resist the smile that would spread across his face. He'd allow the moment to dwell for a few minutes before helping the barely awake Norwegian prince to get situated beneath the covers.

With the sleeping beauty tucked under the covers, Henrik would lean down and press his lips against his boyfriend's forehead. "Goodnight, your highness." He whispered as he stood up and left the confines of the room to return to his own room.

The following morning and each morning that would follow consisted of similar routines. Stellan would be driven out of bed by a servant, then would into a fresh change of clothes before his charming knight would appear by his side to accompany him throughout the day.

However, this daily routine consisting of sharing meals with the king and queen to tending to scholarly studies would soon encounter a shift. Perhaps the threat of the prince from the kingdom across the seas and deadly forest should have been taken seriously, but such bold menace never crossed his mind more than once. 

Stellan was relaxing in the courtyard, taking the rare opportunity to immerse his mind within the pages of a book on Old Norse. The sweet floral aroma of flowers surrounded his being and gave him a sense of comfort. A cup of coffee was resting upon a coaster, releasing a cascade of steam. To say Stellan was in a prosperous state would be an understatement. He was content as he remained focus on the hefty book resting on his lap. Occasionally, he would look away to reach for the porcelain to quench his thirst.

His knight dressed in uniform was no more than ten feet away, keeping a vigilant eye on the man he loved and swore to protect. Leaning against the brick wall, Henrik made sure the prince was left undisturbed, but even he could not see beyond the broad trees and vast flowers that spread for miles. Eventually, that peace Stellan cherished would halt and be disrupted by an unwelcome figure.  
Hidden within the shadows was where danger lingered. Devious and filled to the brim with a selfish desire, the entity was driving on a concoction of jealousy and anger. The night where he was rejected burned in the back of his mind and was what drove him to take action to erase the pain. A sharp weapon that had taken the lives of many in its past usage was clutched in his palm. Its next potential victim was so close, yet far from within reach.

No matter. Regardless of the distance, the wielder would succeed with his attempt in taking his vengeance, even if it meant spilling some blood or taking the life of the man he wanted for himself. Taking small steps, being careful to not step on withered twigs or leaf piles, the intruder stealthily moved closer towards his target until Stellan's back was open for the kill shot.

While Stellan was out in the open and the shot was in his favor, the intruder had failed to notice that his own back was visible. The unlucky prince didn't see it coming when a dark shadow approached from behind and hindered the weapon from aiming at the destination. Being forced to inhale the dirt through his nostrils, the trespasser was restrained with his hands tied behind his back.  
The commotion of thuds and yells led to Stellan setting his book down and looking behind him. The sight before his eyes was not anything new. He had become acquainted with the knight, taking care of troublesome rebels and assassins that attempted to bring harm upon him and the crown. With a simple brushing moment of his hand, a signal he used as code to yearn for the body or corpse, in some cases, Henrik took action in ensuring the royal could not cause more needless distress. 

After notifying the other guards to take the restrained prince away and questioned for his actions, Henrik joined Stellan at the small table. He'd take the chair right beside his partner and would grasp one of the Stellan's hands, giving it a tender squeeze. Stellan would enable his hand to be held but wouldn't start up a conversation and instead would direct his concentration on the book once again. However, his ears were ajar for whatever the knight had to say. Whether it was trivial banter or relevant material, Stellan would always lend his ears to listen to his knight.


End file.
